Author Topic: High Cup Nick  (Read 5542 times)

Sarah Pitht

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High Cup Nick
« on: 16:54:40, 02/06/16 »
Walking High Cup is on the agenda this summer and maybe this weekend. (As it has been for the past few years... ahem).


I expect we'll be starting and finishing in Dufton. Any recommendations on the route? Clockwise? Anti clockwise? All around the rim? Or should we include the valley in the route? If so, in ascent or descent - note I prefer to avoid steep descents as the knees complain somewhat and the core muscle strength is somewhat lacking!!! ::)


I am of course googling routes and looking at the map, but I do like to get the gen from the experience and knowledge of the forum.


Thanks folks!

ninthace

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #1 on: 17:19:36, 02/06/16 »
The traditional route is clockwise round the rim from Dufton. Other options are in from Cow Green car park via PW or from Dufton via Threlkeld Side and Maize Beck but the going can be a bit rough. Up the middle is an option but it is a bit of a scramble out and going down that way is not an option if you are worried about your knees. Out and back by the PW is also an option.


Here are the routes I have done recently.


http://www.haroldstreet.org.uk/routes/download/?walk=1624

http://www.haroldstreet.org.uk/routes/download/?walk=1618
http://www.haroldstreet.org.uk/routes/download/?walk=1608
http://www.haroldstreet.org.uk/routes/download/?walk=2140
http://www.haroldstreet.org.uk/routes/download/?walk=2753


Avoid the first week in June as the area is over run by gypsies and travellers. There is a small car park in Dufton but it fills up quickly. If you have any other questions just ask.

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Sarah Pitht

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #2 on: 17:30:13, 02/06/16 »
Thanks Ninthace - I was hoping you might respond. Good point re first week in June - the Appleby Horse Fair is on at the moment.


I'll look up your routes too.




Andies

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #3 on: 17:30:36, 02/06/16 »
We just went from Dufton on the Pennine Way as a there and back albeit we did include going on to Murton Fell.

As ninthace says there is a small car park in Dufton, as well as lots of verges that I have parked on when the car park is full.

I have also parked just past Bow Hall. That cuts a few yards off the trip but this is quite limited especially on busy days.

Whenever you go it's always busier than most other places in the North Pennines, but we'll worth it. :)

midweekmountain

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #4 on: 16:17:36, 03/06/16 »


I would recommend waiting until you have some crisp consolidated snow conditions for High Cup Nick.

It makes an average day out in the hills into one you will remember for the rest of yur life.

ninthace

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #5 on: 19:16:56, 03/06/16 »
Couldn't agree more.  I did the Maize Beck route in snow shoes - great day out!
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mike knipe

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #6 on: 20:18:41, 03/06/16 »


I would recommend waiting until you have some crisp consolidated snow conditions for High Cup Nick.

It makes an average day out in the hills into one you will remember for the rest of yur life.

Certainly makes the conditions quite fab - except that I had such a day on Middlehope Moor about 5 years ago and put the walk into the Durham County Council guided walks programme in the hope of recreating the conditions. We've done the walk every January for the last four years and the conditions have never repeated themselves, although we have had some interesting blizzards and temperature inversions and so-on - I'm just saying that waiting for a bit of lovely, hard neve could be a long long wait....
On the other hand, timing the walk so that the walker is descending the North side at sunset can also provide some spectacular pink colouring... same problem, though... could be a long wait.
My preference is to go up the South side over the prow of Middletongue Crag and around to the North side for a short walk, or for a longer one, go over Dufton Pike, up Threlkeld side, over Backstone Edge to HCN.  The long walk from Cow Green (and back again if you have a car) is a bit of a toil, specially since the local grouse estate has driven a new road a lot of the way, and it's not specially comfortable to walk on.
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kkm

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #7 on: 21:12:07, 03/06/16 »
One I want to revisit in dry conditions.
We came over there on a very wet and stormy day doing PW. I slipped and nearly went over the edge going over what resembled a stream right at the top.
To which I uttered the words "get me off this  chuffin mountain now" to Mr kkm, and he kept telling me it's only a mile to go when it was actually more like 3.
As it happened it was our last day walking it.
Don't think I'd take the kids up though......!

midweekmountain

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #8 on: 07:02:25, 05/06/16 »
I'm just saying that waiting for a bit of lovely, hard neve could be a long long wait....


On the other hand, timing the walk so that the walker is descending the North side at sunset can also provide some spectacular pink colouring... same problem, though... could be a long wait.

To me timing a walk is the key to getting fantastic conditions, I am a big believer in timing a walk to get to the right place at the right time for the right effect.

Nowadays its relatively easy to get info about snow conditions 'n' weather, where the sun will set anyday of the year likewise the moon variations and of course the other usefull variable is the tide.....

You gotta be patient, I always have several options of walks/routes at the back of my mind when the weather is naff I go to the climbing wall, when the cherries line up, I go for it.




ninthace

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #9 on: 07:13:03, 05/06/16 »
I remember one trip to the Nick when the hole itself was filled with cloud as a result of an inversion. It looked like a sea of milk. Sometimes you just get lucky.
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midweekmountain

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #10 on: 07:21:19, 05/06/16 »
Sometimes you just get lucky.

Yes and no................

I am a big believer in making my own luck...........Using the weather conditions/seasons/tide to my advantage.

Often look at folks posting on here thinking its a disaster waiting to happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ninthace

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #11 on: 15:58:56, 05/06/16 »
True, but you sometimes do just get lucky, especially with phenomena such as temperature inversions at the right height or the perfect conditions of light and weather to get a brocken spectre.  It is these sort of things that add the magic to simple planning.
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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #12 on: 12:34:09, 24/06/16 »
We climbed from Dufton and half way around the rim, dropping down into the valley where the river breaches the walls. While this is an option, the path along the valley bottom was memorably wet so, I would probably recommend staying high and walking right around
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Islandplodder

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #13 on: 14:05:40, 24/06/16 »
I did a nice circular walk from Dufton which involved following the Pennine Way out of Dufton and going up Great Rundale.  There's a path of sorts from Great Rundale Tarn following the beck which brings you out above High Cup, then you can follow the pw route back, or scramble down to the bottom and walk out that way.  When I did it, it was about this time of year, and the flowers were really good, lots of birds eye primroses in the valley, and an assortment of limestone flowers in a gorge just before you reach High Cup.  I reckon approaching it from the top gives the best 'Wow' moment, especially if it's the first time you've seen it.

Bhod

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Re: High Cup Nick
« Reply #14 on: 15:44:19, 25/10/16 »
I can agree with Islandplodder's "wow" moment.   I walked to High Cup Nick earlier on in the year, we parked at Cow Green reservoir and followed the PW.  A lovely gentle'ish walk and the beauty of it is that you don't actually get to see the 'Nick until the last moment when the vista then opens up in front of you, definately a WOW moment and one I have a treasured memory off.  The only downside to this route is it is a linear walk rather than a circular but if you do what we did and leave Cauldron Snout for the return journey then at least you have something to look forward to.  All in all a round trip of 16 miles and well worth the effort imho.
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